In A Second
by Ficcin
Summary: It's Bella's birthday, and the last thing she wants is attention. But that's exactly what she gets when she gets into a car accident. Will Edward ever forgive himself and will Bella make it out unscathed? Major ExB Fluff, T for language.
1. Chapter 1

I hurried out of Chemistry. 'I would not be bothered by his nagging' I told myself many times. Yet, it still got to me, which was why I was running down the hall, which was dangerous for me. Knowing my coordination, I could fall even when standing still. I took a few glances back, and saw him struggling to get around the maze of students behind me.

"Bellaaaa" Edward called chasing me down the hall. I whirled around, and unsurprisingly, tripped on my own feet. Edward caught me, of course, and pulled me up with a smug grin. "Gotcha."

"Edward, really it's nice that you want to get me a present, but I don't want one." I said getting a grip on my books again.

"Bella, don't be ridiculous, it's your _birthday_. Doesn't that word have any significance to you?

"Yes. I'm one year older and one year closer to dying." I said, beginning my trek to my truck. He seemed taken aback by my comment. We walked in silence to the parking lot, and I was beginning to wonder if I'd hurt his feelings.

As soon as I set foot on the concrete, he spun me around.

"Bella. I will go mad if you don't allow me to get you a present. Honestly."

I thought this over. I could humor him for one day. Sure.

"Alright." I sighed. "But please? Nothing too big. Keep it very small." He smiled. Oh no, he wasn't getting away with this.

"Not jewelry! Though it's small it's too expensive." I said, pleased that I had caught the loophole.

He sighed. "Alright, but you know Alice has planned your party…"

"Yes, at six. I'll be there. And I won't fuss." I said. I stood on my tip toes to kiss him goodbye, and he walked me to my truck.

_Minutes later_

"NO Edward, you may NOT buy me a car!" I exclaimed.

"Please?" He asked. I could hear the smile in his voice.

"No. You can't just…Just" I spluttered "Buy me a CAR!"

"But-"

"No, but thanks for the offer" I finished sarcastically, hanging up the phone and throwing it on the passenger seat. It landed right side up, the screen still on, displaying a beautiful picture of my one and only. I loved Edward, but he drove me crazy with his incessant need to buy me gifts. It was unfair to himself, I had nothing to give to him in return. I shook my head, the thoughts getting to me too much. I pulled around the winding roads in the woods, slowing when rain began to fall in large drops. Any other girl would squeal with delight, being offered jewelry, clothes, college tuition, cars, and just about anything else. It baffled me that he has hell bent on getting me something for my eighteenth birthday. It didn't matter to me, it was just like any other day of the year, except there was gifts and too many people wishing me a happy birthday. And the parties. Oh how I loathed them. So when Edward called back I was quick to answer.

"Edward, can you please sto-"

"_Bella listen to me_" he growled. Great, now he was mad. I bent over to grab a tissue from the box next to my seat, blowing my nose as I sat back up. As soon as I had sat up I heard a piercing scream coming from my phone. "LOOK OUT!" I heard vaguely as I looked out my window. I was coming face to face with a tree. But before my brain could send the signal to my leg to stomp on the brake, I was already colliding with the thick tree, the sickening sound of the metal buckling and collapsing surrounded me. The car rolled once, twice, three times, and came to a shuddering stop on its roof. For a second I couldn't feel anything at all. Nothing. Just numbness and a slight bit of fear. But after a few seconds, I began to feel pain. Pain so intense I cried out. I screamed. 'Keep calm' I chanted in my head, but it was hard to when I was stuck upside down in my truck, my legs crushed under the dash board, and my arm shoved between the window and my mangled steering wheel. My phone was on the floor under my feet. I could hear Edward screaming and an engine roaring.

"Bella if you can hea-" the line crackled, then died. I wailed helplessly. He didn't know where I was. Hell, I didn't know where I was. And as the light grew dimmer, the rain grew harder, and I realized that in just a second, just 1000 milliseconds, my life could be turned upside down.

Should I continue this story? Please let me know…


	2. Chapter 2

Drip drip drip. The rain was getting in the car. My smashed windows stood no chance to the pelting rain. There was a red pool on the roof of the car. A mix of my blood, and the rain. I sat hanging upside down, crying, praying to God that Edward would find me. The driver seat window was splattered with blood, it had somehow stayed intact. I was becoming light headed from the crying, hanging upside down, and the smell of blood, so I quieted and tried to tell myself to sleep. Just sleep.

EPOV

177, 189, 193, I pushed the Porsche to the limit, not caring what the effects were on Alice's car. I sped around the corners, keeping the windows open so I could smell for Bella's scent. The rain was pounding. Why was Carlisle not following? God, why did I have to be so stupid?! Couldn't I have just stopped annoying her when she asked? It was her birthday! When Alice had the vision of Bella crashing, I was too late to stop it. I was getting closer…I slammed the brakes on as I saw Bella's mangled truck. I saw a tree, mangled and about to fall. The truck had slammed into it at a high speed. It must have flipped onto its roof since the car was well across the road. My eyes widened and my mouth dropped open when I saw blood plastered on the driver's seat window. I could hear whimpering, I could hear her calling my name.

BPOV

I heard tires squealing in the distance and suddenly the cabin was flooded with headlights. I turned my head to the side. "Edward. Edward, help. Help me Edward." I whispered. In a second, he was by the side of the truck.

"Bella?! Bella can you hear me?! Oh sweetheart, you're bleeding so much…You're stuck" He choked out. He leaned down and looked through the space the windshield once was. I looked at him. He looked at me in absolute horror, I must have looked pretty bad. "I'm going to flip the car over. Okay sweetheart?" He told me. The anxiety in his voice was not helping me.

EPOV

I panicked.

Not just my normal worrisome self, but a whole new level of craziness when I smelled _all_ of the blood, saw her mangled form through the window, and her beautiful face marred. I had to keep calm for her though, she couldn't see me like this. It would help neither of us if I was not in control of my emotions. I tipped the truck up as slowly as I could and froze when I heard her whimper. "Sweetheart?" I asked worriedly.

"Just do it please" I heard her spit through clenched teeth. I continued to lift the truck, sighing in relief when the tires touched the pavement. In a heartbeat I was by her side. I hesitantly opened the driver's door and a piercing scream ripped through the air.

BPOV

I felt the door open and couldn't suppress the scream that rose in my throat. My arm fell to my lap limply and more tears over flowed from my eyes. Edward gently took my arm and pressed his ice cold fingers up and down.

"Bella, love I'm so sorry…Can you feel your arm? Can you move your fingers for me?"

I sat there numbly, staring at him

He shook his head sadly and pulled out his cell phone. He talked so quickly I could only make out a few words… something like "where the hell… she's in pain…shock…hurry. He snapped the cell shut and pressed the heels of his palms into his face. "Bella I'm so sorry, this is all my fault… But I'm going to have to break the car off of you." My eyes widened in panic. If opening the door hurt that bad, I wasn't ready to get the front of the car removed from my sandwiched legs. "No, please" I whimpered. I didn't want to feel the pain, but I didn't want to stay here either. Edward looked tortured as he shook his head and began to pry my car apart. A scream ripped from my throat, and his eyes went black, and he worked quicker. Soon, my legs were freed. He was by my side once more and was taking my hand murmuring apologies, looking me up and down. A minute later, another car screeched to a stop beside Edward's car.

"Carlisle, what took so long?!" hissed Edward quietly.

Carlisle ignored him and walked over to me, taking my arm. "Bella? Bella sweetheart, we're going to take you to the hospital, okay?" I felt blood running down the side of my face and realized he couldn't take me to his house. I risked a glance at my legs, only to find them bent in strange ways, and my left one had a bone sticking out at a strange angle. I almost choked. Carlisle's face was twisted with sorrow as he softly prodded my legs and head. The pain was almost gone, I was slipping under the dark, and I was done fighting it. My head lolled back.

"Carlisle!" Edward shouted.

"It's a common side effect of shock, Edward."

I felt myself lifted, and put into a warm seat. The last thing I remembered was a loud engine and Edward murmuring in my ear. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…


	3. Chapter 3

BPOV

I wavered in and out of consciousness on the ride to the hospital. I didn't have enough strength to open my eyes, but I felt myself being pushed against Edward's stony chest every time the car turned, heard his hums of worry for me, and smelled the blood. I was glad I couldn't open my eyes, the back seat must have been mostly covered in it. They would have to get rid of the car for sure. The pain didn't let up, so I sunk back down into the darkness. It wasn't comfortable nor uncomfortable, but almost like I was floating on air, with a few painful twinges in my neck, arm, and legs. I often felt his lips on my head. His broken voice repeated the same words…But I couldn't make them out.

EPOV

As soon as we arrived at the emergency door, I was out of the car, walking as quickly as I could without jostling Bella, I couldn't lose her, and I wouldn't lose her, not like this. The receptionist jumped as I opened the door with a bang. She was about to ask me to fill out some paperwork while they took "the bloody girl" in the back. I didn't stop at the desk. I knew the hospital well enough, while I was in medical school, I had shadowed Carlisle at work for quite a few weeks, and I was even offered a job. But of course I humbly denied it. Though I may have the textbook knowledge of a surgeon, when it came to an emergency…I couldn't even identify the signs of shock properly. A spare stretcher was on the side of the hallway, so I laid Bella down on it and began running down the hall with her. Carlisle joined me, and together we ran her to the ICU, where we could hopefully stabilize her, give her blood, and save her life. Carlisle inserted an IV while nurses rushed into the room, all hooking Bella's pale, limp form up to various machines. I recognized a few as a cardiac monitor, ECG machine, and before I could distinguish more, Carlisle had drawn such a crowd around her bed that I could no longer see. Reading Carlisles thoughts was difficult but I made out "Syncopal Episode, hypotension, sutures…All around" and I couldn't bear to hear anymore, knowing that this was my fault.

Hours Later…

I silently crept into her room. The windows were closed, the blinds drawn, and her blankets pulled up to her neck, which was encircled by a brace. Her forehead was laced with sutures, and below that I couldn't see anything else, but I didn't want to risk going insane by looking under her covers. She must have had both legs in a cast since they were bulging from the covers. I sat down on a plastic chair across the room and hunched my shoulders over in defeat. What if she could never walk again? I'd have to change her. She could never experience all of the human moments that she needed to have. She needed more time. And I needed more time with my fragile human, Bella. I could hear the steady "beep" of her heartbeat monitor and focused on that.

BPOV

Beep. Beep. Beep.

"Oh Jesus."

Beep. Beep. Beep.

"I'm dead. I'm dead, right?"

Beep Beep Beep Beep

"Oh God, Edward, he's going to blame himself."

BeepBeepBeepBeep

"I'm dead!"

BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP

"Bella! Sweetheart, open your eyes, it's Edward, It's me love, don't cry, you're safe with m-… You're safe here."

I pried my eyes open, realizing my face was hot and wet. Tears streamed from my eyes. Edward leaned over, looking as if he was about to burst into tears, and wiped my tears away. He kissed me softly on the forehead, which I realized was numb. I pulled my hand out from under the blanket I was covered in, but realized my hand was attached to something. Carlisle entered the room like a breeze, and was at my bed.

"Bella, you're awake" he stated with a smile. Grabbing my clipboard at the end of the bed, he made some notes and looked up after a moment. "Do you know what day it is?"

"Um. Tuesday?"

He frowned slightly. "No, it's Sunday Bella. Do you remember what happened to you, in the accident?"

I opened my mouth and squinted, but didn't speak as I recollected hanging upside down, crying for Edward. He must have sensed that I was on the verge of breaking, because Edward took my hand and soothingly began to rub my arm.

"I, I…"

"Take your time Bella" Carlisle said encouragingly.

"I was driving home and talking to Edward on my phone." Edwards hand tightened noticeably, then he relaxed. "And I leaned down…to get…" I rubbed my forehead. Thinking was exhausting.

Carlisle strode over to my bedside and took my other hand comfortingly. "If you're not ready to do this yet, that's alright Bella."

I nodded silently and laid my head back against the pillows. Carlisle and Edward talked quietly for a few minutes, and I laid still because my pain medicine was wearing off, and the effect of three broken limbs and a whacked-up neck was not pleasant. Eventually, the pain became worse, but I didn't say anything. I shut my eyes when I felt a flare of pain in my left leg as I shifted it under the covers. A tear dropped out of the corner of my eye, and when I opened my eyes Edward was right over me, Carlisle behind him.

"Bella? What hurts darling?" He asked, taking my hand and quickly looking me over.

"It was my fault"

"What?" Asked Edward, confused. "None of this was your fault. I was the one who was annoying you-"

"No Edward" I cut him off, my voice cracking. "I moved my leg and it hurt, it's my fault for moving it."

Carlisle interrupted "Well Bella, I can give you more morphine."

"Yes, please" I requested, looking down at my scarred hands.

A pair of stone arms wrapped around me ever so lightly, and Edward kissed my head. "I'm so sorry that you had to go through this, darling" he said regretfully. And I just couldn't control my emotions anymore. I was scared, sad, angry, relived and overall just upset with myself. I shook my head as hot tears trailed down my cheeks.

"Hey, hey, Bella it's alright" Edward soothed, rubbing my back and tipping my chin up.

"No, it's not" I blubbered "you blame yourself for this when it was me, doing stupid things while driving. And this time I've really messed up, I only feel pain. It's worse than it was in Arizona...Edward I might not get better"

"Of course you will, don't be silly" he said in a silky smooth voice, "Carlisle is the best doctor...On the face of the Earth. He will be monitoring you and he won't let anything happen to you."

"That's right" said Carlisle striding in the room with my morphine. "The only thing you need to worry about is resting and relaxing" he said, busying himself with a needle. I turned away when he snapped on a pair of gloves and flicked the needle. Out of all of the horrifying events I've been through in the past 24 hours, I was still afraid of a needle. Typical.  
Carlisle noticed that I was pale, so he instructed Edward to help me relax. He kissed me slowly and I sighed in delight.  
"Edward. That's not relaxing her." Carlisle said dryly. I blushed and Edward stroked my hair, telling me all of the reasons he loves me. I was asleep in no time.


	4. Chapter 4

I woke up to the sound of rain. It pattered on the windows loudly. I opened my eyes and saw Edward staring intently at me.

"Bella?" He asked in doubt.

"Edward." I stated.

"You're up, love, you've woken up 12 times in the past 2 days…you always fell back asleep though" he said sadly.

"I'm up now" I said with a small smile for his benefit. It hurt. He walked to my bedside.

"How are you feeling?" he asked gently, taking my wrist. His fingers pressed into the inside of it, taking my pulse, and I knew he was evaluating me.

"I'm okay" I said, looking down at his pale hands on my scraped hands.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes" I replied absently.

"Bella…" He said, lifting my chin to look at him. "Do you remember what happened?"

I squeezed my eyes shut. Of course I remembered, now. I was on the phone, Edward told me to look out, and before I knew it I was upside down, stuck in my car, my legs trapped so Edward had to pry the car off of me. Of course I remembered. I didn't want to.

"Are you in pain, love?" He asked, taking my wrist once more. "Elevated heart beat" he murmured quietly.

"I remember it. All of it. I just don't want to talk about it." I said, praying my tears would not leak from my eyes.

"Bella, I'm…So sorry. I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am. You missed your birthday and Charlie was devastated when he heard-"

"Wait, was Charlie here?"

And Edward was gone. The door opened and Charlie peeked in. Upon seeing me, he stood up straight in surprise, running into the room. "Bella! You've been out…well for a while. Are you okay? Let me call a nurse."

I didn't object, because I was starting to get rather uncomfortable. My neck was stiff, my legs had regained the painful feeling, and my arm was aching.

When Charlie was about to press the call button Carlisle came walking in swiftly.

"Hello Charlie" he greeted my father warmly.

"Carlisle" he responded with a nod of his head.

Carlisle strode over to my bedside giving me a sweet grin. "How are you Bella?"

"Um, my arm is sort of stiff along with my neck, my legs…"I said slowing down "My legs…Will they ever work again?"

Both men's faces twisted in pity. Carlisle sat on the edge of my bed, and took my hand. "Bella, your common peroneal nerve has been, well, injured" he told me seriously. "But, physical therapy can help you regain most of the use in your legs."

"Most?" I asked sadly.

Carlisle bit his lip. "Yes, Bella, I won't sugar coat this, you aren't going to be the same as you were before the accident…for a long time"

I turned away from him for a second. I clamped my mouth shut. Don't cry. Don't cry.

"Bella, do you have any questions?" he asked in pity.

"I…"

He waited

"Can you take this stupid neck brace off?"

Carlisle laughed and rubbed my arm affectionately. "Sorry, but you'll have to keep that on for at least another week."

"Oh" I said disappointed.

"Edward actually wants to see you. He'll be in soon" Carlisle said with a grin, leaving me with Charlie.

We were quiet.

"Bells I'm going to go get some food" he said after a while. "I need to think…Alone for a while" he said, leaving.

Charlie was never one to show his emotions. The door shut behind him and I could hear his footsteps echoing down the hall.

I tested my leg and it flared in pain. I groaned, but moved it until it touched the floor. I was in agony, but I wasn't going to let this make me handicapped. I wouldn't allow this accident to change my life. After minutes, both my legs were dangling over the bed. I put a slight amount of weight on my right leg. It almost screamed in protest. I ignored it, just pushing myself to my feet like a normal day.

This wasn't a normal day. After this accident I would never have a normal day ever again.

I realized this as I fell to the floor. My head impacted first. I could practically feel my brain hitting my skull. My muscles burned and I groaned and rolled onto my back slowly. I closed my eyes. I didn't have enough energy to call for help or get up, for that matter. My eyes snapped open when I heard the door to the room open. Edward was over my head in a second.

"Bella?!" he shouted.

"Shh Edward I'm fine." I told him, blinking slowly at his beautiful face.

"Then why are you on the floor?!" he asked, sounding outraged.

The floor? I looked around. Why was I on the floor? How did I get here? Everything was becoming confusing.

Edward bent over to pick me up, and I barely noticed the pain as he laid my head against his shoulder. It was cold and hard, but it didn't matter to me. He sat me down on the bed, carefully placing the blankets over me once more.

"I'll ask again," he said slowly "Why were you on the floor?"

I squinted at him. "What are you asking?"

"Bella, how did you get on the floor?" he asked quizzically.

I gave him an odd look. "I'm on the bed… Charlie."

"I'm Edward" the man on my bed responded.

"Who…?"

The person on my bed looked at me sadly, he looked like he was about to cry. "Go to sleep Bella" he told me, and pushed my shoulders back until I reached the pillow.

"Goodnight dad" I mumbled.

He looked as if he was silently crying as I drifted off.


	5. Chapter 5

I woke again. My eyelids fluttered open and I opened my eyes to see two men talking at the foot of my bed.

"She called me_ Charlie!_" one said with forced calmness in his voice.

The taller blonde man looked over at me as I woke up. "Bella, what is my name?"

I shook my head and whispered "Mike?"

The brown haired man looked as if he was about to explode. The blonde one told him to quiet down and pulled out a wheelchair. I heard small bits of his almost silent conversation; "Already examined…Head trauma…Remind her"

A wheelchair was pushed to the side of my bed and I looked at it doubtfully. Was I even going to get out of this bed? This didn't look like my room. My sheets were…Yellow? No…They were purple…Right?

"Bella" said the brown haired man softly, "I'm going to put you in this wheelchair but you need to let me know when it hurts"

I nodded slowly, and he picked me up gently, setting me in the chair. It didn't hurt very much, but my legs were numb. Didn't my neck have a brace on it last time I woke up? I felt around my neck and it was gone.

"Oh Bella, we took that off yesterday, you've been sleeping a while." He said with a sigh. He wheeled me down the hall and out to the courtyard. I inhaled slowly as I tasted the new air. It felt like I hadn't been outside for years. I closed my eyes and let out the deep breath. I was content.

The brown haired man kneeled down next to me and took my hand. "Bella, I'm Edward, your…Well boyfriend. You got into a car accident and you're at the hospital right now recovering. Your legs have nerve damage, your arm is luckily just broken, and your neck seems to be doing fine" he said with a smile, caressing my neck.

I heard the echo of tires screeching in my head, blurry visions of a broken car and blood…lots of it. There was an ambulance…Edward…Carlisle…The bed, my dad…My legs…

"Love? Are you remembering?"

I nodded with fresh tears in my eyes. I remembered. I couldn't stop crying, could I?

"Hey now" he said wiping the wetness from my cheeks, "we're going to fix you all up, in fact, since it's been two weeks since the accident-"

"What?" I spluttered "Two _weeks?!_"

"Yes" he said surprised by my sudden incentive to speak. "Since it's been that long, we decided it's better to start therapy sooner than later."

"Now?"

"Well…Sure…If you're up to it. How does your head feel? When you fell you hit it pretty hard. Maybe we should wait until you rest some more…"

"No!" I protested "I've been in that bed for two weeks"

"Alright, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes."

He smiled and kissed my head, then wheeled me back inside, down the hall, and down the elevator to a new part of the hospital. He spoke to Carlisle briefly, and before I knew it, I was in a large room that looked like a gym, except for everything was toned down. The weights were smaller, the benches were bigger, there was a bed, and the yoga balls were smaller. I was instructed to lie down, and Edward took a seat near the bench.

"I'm going to lift your leg" the therapist said gesturing at my right leg "and it may hurt, but it's for the best. Alright?"

"Okay" I said somewhat apprehensively.

She pressed lightly and I just about screamed. Sensing my pain, she stopped and I took an ugly heaving breath to calm myself. Her eyes darted over to Edward and she tentatively asked if we should maybe try this another day.

"No" I gasped out. "Go again" I waved my hand at her. Edward grimaced and took my hand. This time when she lifted it, I cried out, my face red, and my heart beating in my ears. The pain was unbearable.

"Bella, it's too early to start your physical therapy if I can't lift your leg more than a foot off the bench" she said sincerely, "We can try in a couple of weeks, okay?"

I nodded, pressing my lips together. Edward put me back in the wheelchair as the therapist left the room.

"Bella, I shouldn't have brought you here this early, I'm sorry, that was not very smart"

"No…It's my fault" I said looking away, out the window where other patients strolled along the sidewalks, laughing as they used their legs with ease.

"No it's not Bella" he told me, taking my chin gently and turning my head back toward his. "I'm responsible for all of this, you have no one but me to blame, sweetheart" he told me, folding me into his stone embrace. I clutched his shirt and laid my head on his shoulder. We stayed like that for a few minutes until my breathing evened out and I could think straight. "Let's go back to your room okay? I'm going to get you some food from the cafeteria, it's better than normal patient's food" he said smiling. He wheeled me back into my small white room and put me on my bed. "Be right back, sweetheart" he told me with a kiss, and left me propped up with a mountain of pillows.

Sometimes I could be emotional. When I was in danger, when I was sad, when I was afraid. But I had never been this hopeless. So utterly defeated. I sat on my bed, practically crippled, unable to even use the bathroom by myself.

"I can't do anything!" I cried in sudden outrage. I screamed and ripped the blanket off of my lap with my good arm, throwing it on the ground screeching in anger. I grabbed the pillows from behind my head and threw them across the room, and disappointingly, they didn't do much damage. I screamed at the top of my lungs as I pounded my fist on the bare mattress "ITS NOT FAIR, ITS NOT FAIR!" I cried. I wailed and stopped pounding. My sobs grew loud and uncontrollable, and I sobbed for me. I cried for the loss of my normal life, the loss of what I could have been, the loss of who I was. I ripped my cards to shreds. Jessica didn't care about me, Mike didn't care about me, Tyler didn't care about me and Edward could have just left as soon as I had crashed that stupid car. I didn't know why he hadn't left me. As if I was beautiful and useful before…Now I was so much less. I was a crippled, scarred, ugly girl. A small mirror was on my bedside table, and I took it and hurled it across the room. It shattered into millions of pieces. I pounded my useless, practically numb legs with my one good fist, screaming "WORK, WORK!" at them as they laid there unresponsive to my calls and the beating they were receiving. The door swung open quickly and Carlisle rushed in, pausing for a moment appraising the work I had done. Pillows, shreds of cards, glass, and wrinkled sheets were amid my bed, and I could practically imagine seeing myself. My hospital gown torn, my hair in knots, my face red and puffy, my eyes pouring tears.

"Bella!" he shouted, running to my side. He took my hands, restraining me from doing any further harm to myself or the room. "Shh, it's alright, it's going to be okay, sweetheart" he tried to calm me. He sat beside me on the bed and rocked me back and forth until my sobs died down to the occasional sniff. My legs were red, my eyes raw, and my fist hurt. He must have noticed my pain, so he placed one hand across my two thighs, and one on top of my right fist. He rocked me back and forth like a child until Edward entered the room. His face showed shock for a second as he took in the scene, but after a second he just turned to the counter and put my food down. He came to sit beside me, and I fell into his embrace. He laid down with me, telling me how much he loved me, and caressed my tear soaked checks until the sun went down.


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry for the long wait! My birthday and school have been taking up most of my time. Enjoy this chapter, guys!

_One week later_

I sat up by myself that morning. Good.

I could move my legs. Better.

My hand was making a recovery. Great.

Except for the fact that I didn't feel good. I didn't feel better. And I sure didn't feel great. Edward and Carlisle had been encouraging me over the past few weeks to start trying to move on my own. At first, the pain was excruciating, like when I went to physical therapy. But for days afterwards, I began to regain feeling in my legs and my arm. It hurt, but it was progress. I guess.

The whole Cullen family would visit, Alice left flowers and just about everything that she said I would need. I didn't see a use for a hair dryer or movie player. Edward took me outside every day now. He would push me in my wheelchair through the court yards and we would talk. He would park it in the small garden out back and we would converse while he held my hand and comforted me from the memories of the accident that haunted me in my sleep.

Even weeks after the accident I had the same nightmare.

Over and over.

I would be in my truck, driving down that same road, and when that tree came into view, my steering wheel would lock, my acceleration pedal locked down. I could do nothing as I screamed and smashed into that tree every night.

I woke up screaming again.

"Bella! Bella, shh, it's okay." Edward took my small body and held it closer to his. I gasped for breath and wiped my eyes as I tried to make my heart slow. He rubbed circles on my back and I would eventually fall back asleep. This wasn't the life I wanted to live, terror and pain over and over, so I recognized that I needed to make a change, so I set my mind to try hard in my upcoming therapy, and make a point to start moving my legs and arm, even if it hurt.

"Ready?" He asked, excited.

"Yeah let's go" I said smiling. I was ready to get better.

He pushed me down the hall, like he did every day, and I waved and smiled at some of the familiar faces I had been seeing for the past weeks. We turned into the physical training room that I had been in a few weeks ago. I gulped as the wheelchair stopped, and I knew that I was about to endure pain for the next hour. But to my surprise, Edward was gone from the back of my chair.

"Edward?" I asked, craning my neck around to look for him.

"Don't do that" he scolded as he entered the room, the doors flying open. He took my head and turned it back around to the front because I couldn't seem to do so myself. He was dressed in a white doctor's coat, hair combed back, and was carrying assortments of balls, stretching bands, and other things I was unfamiliar with.

"You're my?"

"Physical therapist? Yes." He smiled. "But I only had a master's degree in it"

"When? In 1940?" I asked, trying to hold back a smile.

"More like 1980, but the techniques are mostly the same. Let's get you onto something comfortable."

And I should have known that Edward would pamper me, because instead of the hard bench, a queen size moving hospital bed was in the corner of the room. My lips curled up, I couldn't help a smile. He put me on the bad and we did the same exercises that the last physical therapist had done, except for Edward had a touch and a demeanor that made it less painful somehow.

"I'm going to lift it a little higher" he said, his beautiful voice ringing out in the quiet room.

"Okay" I said through clenched teeth.

"Are you sure?" He asked, taking my hand.

I set my mind to it and breathed out "Yes"

I closed my eyes as the pain flared, once, twice, and then it stopped and I heard a happy humming noise coming from Edward. I opened my eyes and saw my leg was extended towards the ceiling and it didn't hurt at all. He took my hand and I felt like jumping for joy. He lowered it, and it hurt even less. He pulled me up to a sitting position and we hugged. I admit, I cried. My life wasn't over, the crash hadn't ended life as I knew it, it had started something new that had brought me closer to reality…And Edward.

We had our therapy sessions a few times a week, and before I knew it, my legs could be straightened, moved up and down and side to side. Edward was a great physical therapist. He knew just what to do.

He helped me stand between two bars. I grasped them and in a flash he was on the other side of them beckoning me forward. I took one step toward him and felt my leg bending…Too much. I tottered over but he caught me, of course, and set me back on my feet. He eyed me warily and stepped back once more. With a new determination and drive in me, I began to shuffle forward, and when I got to the end of the bars, I fell into his grasp. We both smiled and he scooped me up.

"Bella" he breathed. "You are amazing"

"Pssh…Says the master therapist" I teased.

He kissed me and I felt whole again. This was my last week in the hospital. I had lost track of how long I had been here, but I know it had been a while. In just 2 days I would be back home. Everything was going smoothly, for the next two days it would be just Edward and I, together.

Until it happened.

And no one expected it, not even Alice.

I could say it hindered my healing process, but I would be wrong. It crushed me. I was about all better physically, but after this…Mentally I was destroyed.

Charlie died.


	7. Chapter 7

Charlie's death brought extreme grief to me, I couldn't suppress the cries of anger and helplessness in the sadness I felt. My legs had regained most of their movement fairly quickly with Edward's master physical therapy. My hand was still sore, but it was getting there. Edward sat with me on the ride back from the hospital.

He took my hand and absentmindedly rubbed it, the icy feeling helped numb some of the stiffness and it felt blissful. We approached my house and Edward's countenance grew tight as I took a deep breath and steeled myself to face the home that I would never live in again.

I asked Edward to stay in the car, he complied but warned me that if I was feeling poorly he would come in straight away. I nodded halfheartedly and walked up to the old house. The key was in the familiar place where Charlie had left it for all these years. As soon as I entered my home, I regretted it. It smelled of Charlie. An old bowl of popcorn sat on the couch and the newspaper was still crisp on the kitchen table. A silent tear escaped my eye as I climbed the stairs. I peeked into his room where his bed was still unmade for the day, and pictures of our family hung on the walls. I grasped the door frame for support as I sunk to my knees. They had told me he died from a heart attack. That and the pressure of all the hospital bills stacking up on the table, and the fact that his job was unsteady. Had I known life for him was so difficult I would have made a change…I could have, I could have done something. I told myself this lie over and over again as I stood back up and descended the stairs. Edward was in the entryway and I fell into his embrace. We stood there minutes, accepting what had happened and how it would change both of us. He leaned back from my embrace, took my hand, and led me away from the house. I never looked back.

_6 Months Later_

Edward began to run toward me and I shrieked and sprinted away. He caught me though, and we tumbled to the ground, giggling and twisting around. The meadow was my sanctuary and I would spend hours at a time out here for the past few months. I lived with Edward, and the entire family welcomed me with open arms (even Rose).

I was completely healed, my physical therapy had ended 5 months ago and I enjoyed a healthy lifestyle and I felt complete again. There was a hole in my heart that could never be mended, I missed Charlie, but there was an overwhelming love that numbed the hole. That love was for Edward. The one who changed me in only a second.

The End

Wow I have not updated in forever! Well I need a new prompt, any ideas?

Thanks so much for favoriting and following me! Hope you will continue to read my stuff -Ficcin


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